


Day 25: Humiliation

by Drvivc (Fight_Surrender)



Series: Whumptober 2019 [15]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell, Simon Snow & Related Fandoms
Genre: Canon Related, Drabble, Gen, Not really babies, POV Third Person, Watford First Year, Whumptober 2019, baby Penny, baby Simon, crap jeans, dirty t-shirt, how Penny met Simon, middle school aged?, red ball, tags are so not my thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-26 10:55:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21373000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fight_Surrender/pseuds/Drvivc
Summary: I was kind of going for a bit of an edgy children's book vibe to this. I was tempted to throw some F bombs in there, because I can't think without them, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Relationships: Penelope Bunce & Simon Snow
Series: Whumptober 2019 [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538212
Kudos: 18





	Day 25: Humiliation

“Oi carrot top!”

“It’s more red than orange.”

“Yeah, she’s a tomato head!”

“Does your mother know you’re walking around looking like Bozo the clown?”

“Does she even care?”

“Isn’t there a whole litter of you Bunces? Maybe she never even noticed.”

“How do you even go out in public with hair like that? It’s humiliating.”

The little girl is surrounded by older children who are taunting her under the yew tree. She has a halo of curly, fire-engine red hair floating all around her face and cascading down her shoulders. She’s wearing purple cats-eye glasses with rhinestones at the corners. She is fierce, standing her ground against the other children, but she is very small, and they are very large.

“Sod off!” she shouts, fists balled in front of her like she’s ready for a fight. She’s wearing a white blouse, pleated Watford skirt, and argyle knee socks. Her patent leather Mary Janes catch the afternoon light.

The tallest of her persecutors leans down and shoves her shoulder, “what did you say?”

“I said: _sod off_!” The little girl shoves back.

“Well that just won’t do,” the boy says, pushing her to the ground. The other children start to cheer in that carefree way that they do, when they know a fight is coming, and that it doesn’t involve them.

Out of nowhere, an even smaller boy wades into the crowd. He’s wearing crap jeans and an old t-shirt. He’s got golden hair and a generous smattering of freckles across his nose. He dropped his red rubber ball before charging into the fray. “You leave her alone,” he shouts, kicking the older boy square in the junk. When the aggressor bends down in pain, the smaller boy punches him in the nose for good measure.

The older boy curses and staggers away. The crowd disperses then, in search of something more entertaining. The small boy shouts after them, his jaw is set as he watches them go. Then he turns to the girl with the glasses and holds out his hand to help her up.

“I had it handled,” she said, taking his hand. “I didn’t need you to rescue me.”

“I know,” he said. There is a pause as he kicks the ground with a dirty Chuck Taylor. Haltingly he says, “I reckon two is always better than one, when facing a mob though.”

“I suppose,” she said. “Just don’t go assuming I’m some damsel in distress.”

“Never,” the boy says. A small brown bird lands on his shoulder, startling him. The boy looks over at the bird, then back at the girl. His eyes are wide, they’re a very ordinary blue. “I’ve got to go,” he says, grabbing his red ball. “Bye.”

“Bye,” the girl waves hesitantly. “What’s your name?”

But the boy has already gone.

**Author's Note:**

> I was kind of going for a bit of an edgy children's book vibe to this. I was tempted to throw some F bombs in there, because I can't think without them, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.


End file.
